Easy Blood Effects
The easiest blood effect is to not use any at all. No, really. If the actors convincingly “see” blood, so will the audience. They know that any blood they see isn’t real anyway, so they are perfectly content not seeing any at all. I realize that this is very unsatisfying for the actors and many directors, but for all that it remains true – audiences will believe what the actor believes.
Next on the short list of easy blood effects is pre-set blood. The fake blood is left in a small container hidden somewhere on the set, ready for the actor to dip his fingers in or scoop up with the back of the thumb and apply to the “cut”. When doing a throat slitting or especially in the course of a very physical scene, this is the best way of controlling the blood effect, for it removes the worry of dealing with a messy liquid until just before it is really needed. The blood might be in an open container or in a blood pack.
Blood packs are a reasonably reliable way of getting larger amounts of blood on the actor, but the risk is that the pack may not open on cue, or worse still, open too early, especially when taped onto the actor’s body. That’s why I prefer to have the packs preset on the stage. The actors simply scoops one up just before the blood is needed, and pops it in his hand or on the body part as needed.
Blood packs are easy enough to make – all you need are some plastic sandwich bags, your fake blood, scissors and some thread. You are making tiny little water balloons. Just pour the blood into one of the corners of the plastic bag, twist it around a few times, tie off the balloon that you’ve made and cut off the excess plastic. Don’t use tape to close the bag or it will leak. Remember that air compresses but liquids can’t, so leave a little bit of air in the balloon. As you twist the bag you put the contents under pressure – it’ll make it much easier to pop the blood pack when the time comes.
Note: you can use plastic wrap instead of sandwich bags of course, but plastic wrap stretches a bit, so you need to get the contents under a lot more pressure to make sure it will pop when the actor needs it to.
Planning the Blood Effect
Before choosing a blood effect, it is worth asking what the audience actually needs to see. In many productions the dramatic moment occurs before the blood appears. The audience reacts to the act itself — the stabbing, the slashing, the discovery of the wound — and the blood simply confirms what they already believe has happened.
For that reason, the most convincing blood effects are often the simplest. A small amount placed in exactly the right place usually reads better than a large uncontrolled splash. Blood should also be considered in relation to lighting and distance. A deep red that looks perfect under rehearsal lights may turn nearly black under stage lighting, while a mixture that appears garish in daylight can look perfectly natural from the audience.
Directors should also remember that theatre audiences view violence from a distance. What reads clearly from the back row is not necessarily the same thing that reads well in film close-ups. A little blood placed where the audience expects to see it—on the hand, the sleeve, or spreading slowly across clothing—often tells the story more effectively than elaborate mechanical effects.
Blood FX weapons
Oozing knives, bleeding razors – I know that these things exist and that some of them are wonderful, but in my experience with them they have proved to raise the anxiety level for the actors without much benefit to the story. Most have a hidden latex bladder in the handle of the weapon, not seen by the audience but reached by the fingers of the actor. As the actor presses the bladder, the blood can squirt out with as much force as the actor chooses. The biggest problem with these blood knives is that they are too unreliable, often starting to bleed long before contact is made with the victim.
If the effect is needed, but you are leery of the bladder variety, a sponged blade can sometimes work just as well if not better. Instead of a bladder in the handle, a thin strip of sponge is glued onto one side of the edge of a regular knife, and the sponge is saturated with blood. When the sponge is pressed against the victim, the blood will drip nicely on the skin or clothing, and is a beautifully convincing illusion so long as the sponged side is hidden from the audience’s view.
Controlling the Blood Path
One of the main problems with stage blood is not creating it, but controlling where it travels. Liquids behave unpredictably once actors begin moving quickly.
Whenever possible, the blood should move with gravity rather than against it. Cuts on the forehead or scalp naturally run downward across the face. Wounds to the arm or side can be hidden on the upstage surface of the costume so that the blood travels toward the floor instead of across the actor’s body.
If the effect requires blood on the hands, it is usually best to apply it after the action rather than during it. An actor who begins a fight with slippery hands will quickly lose control of a weapon or prop.
Costumes should also be designed with the blood effect in mind. Dark fabrics hide stains better than light fabrics, and textured fabrics break up the appearance of liquid far better than smooth materials. If a garment must repeatedly receive blood during a run, the wardrobe department may prepare several identical pieces so that one can dry while another is used in performance.
Squibs
There are many who work in theatre who ache for the day when they can replicate the bloody effects they see in movies. These people seem to be especially enamored of squibs. These are small explosives that are rigged with wires, preset on the actor’s body and covered with blood packs. Complete the electrical circuit and the squib explodes, bursting the blood pack and sending a gory red spray just like in a Sam Peckinpaw movie. Here are a few reasons why you should not allow these people to convince you that squibs are a good idea for your show:
• Squibs are explosives. When handled by experts they are relatively safe. When handled by almost experts, they can cause deep dirty burns at best, blast wounds into the chest cavity or up into the face at worst.
• Squibs can and do fail. Connections can loosen, batteries discharge, the explosive can dampen from actor sweat.
• Squibs can ignite spontaneously. Actor sweat is salty water, and under the wrong conditions can cause an electric charge to arc past the switch, completing the circuit and igniting the squib. So can static electricity. And if the system is based on wireless remote, a random cell phone call can accidentally trigger a false “fire” signal. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed that cell phones are more common now than they were twenty years ago.
• Squibs are expensive, at least the good ones. The show budget can be eaten through by setting up a special effect that the audience really doesn’t need to see in order to enjoy a show.
Blood mixtures
It wasn’t that long ago that theatres would simply order some fresh cow’s or pig’s blood from a butcher shop so that real blood was actually used for performance. It is still sometimes done in Europe, but the use is fast disappearing. Real blood, even if not already contaminated with viruses or bacteria, is a growth medium par excellence for a host of random and deadly pathogens.
Fake blood mixtures can be purchased from theatre supply houses, but considering the expense, you are usually better off making your own. For the look of fresh blood, start with good old corn syrup and add food coloring (I like the look of 2 drops blue to every 5 drops red), and then start adding water until you get the viscosity you need. If blood needs to go in or near the mouth or nose, this is a safe mixture.
If you are in an outdoor venue and don’t want to attract flies with corn syrup, try thickening some hot water with powdered arrowroot. If you need blood that looks a little older, add chocolate syrup to darken it. For battlefield wounds, adding some crumbled Shredded Wheat gives the mixture a wonderful texture.
If the blood does not need to be on the face, you can add in some materials to help in clean-up after the show. Liquid dishwashing detergent instead of or along with the corn syrup makes a great base.
If the stage blood might get on costumes and you’re worried about stains, you might consider adding a few drops of Photo-Flo® into the blood mix. This is a film developing component and can be purchased at most photography supply stores. It works like magic in getting the fake blood stain to lift right out of the fabric during washing, even white silk. But be careful because it is a toxic material. Under no circumstances should it be used if there is even a slight chance that the mixture might go near the face.
Protecting the Stage
Blood effects should always be rehearsed with the actual flooring surface that will be used in performance. Liquids behave very differently on painted wood, vinyl flooring, concrete, or carpet. What appears manageable in rehearsal may become dangerously slippery once the effect is repeated night after night.
For scenes involving large amounts of blood, stage managers often mark the area of the spill so that actors avoid stepping directly into it after the effect occurs. In extreme cases a thin clear floor covering may be used and replaced during intermission.
Actors should also be warned that stage blood makes surfaces slippery. If a character collapses or falls after a blood effect, the choreography must account for the fact that the actor may be standing in liquid.
Resetting the Effect Between Performances
Many productions underestimate the amount of time required to restore blood effects between performances.
If the show runs more than a few nights, the stage manager should establish a routine for resetting the effect. This may include:
- Preparing fresh blood packs before each performance
- Re-saturating sponged blades
- Cleaning the playing area after the scene
- Laundering or replacing costumes that receive blood
It is wise to assign a specific crew member to each task. Without clear responsibility, blood effects tend to become unreliable as the run progresses.
Cleaning blood from costumes.
Real blood and stage blood behave very differently, and the cleaning will reflect that. In practice, wardrobe departments treat them as two separate problems:
Real blood is a protein stain.
Stage blood is usually sugar-based, dye-based, detergent-based, or glycerin-based depending on the recipe.
Cleaning Real Blood from Costumes
If someone cuts themselves and real blood gets on a costume, the first priority is to prevent the stain from setting. Blood stains set when they dry and bond to the fibers of the fabric. As soon as possible, rinse the garment with cold water. Never use hot water, as heat cooks the proteins in the blood and permanently fixes the stain into the cloth.
If the stain cannot be cleaned immediately, at least wet the fabric thoroughly so that the blood does not dry in place.
When there is time to treat the stain properly, hydrogen peroxide is extremely effective. Pour a small amount directly onto the stain and blot gently. The peroxide reacts with the iron in the blood and rapidly breaks apart the red blood cells, causing the stain to foam and lift from the fabric. Apply, blot, rinse with cold water, and repeat until the stain disappears. Hydrogen peroxide is generally color-safe for most fabrics, though delicate dyed materials should always be tested first.
Another reliable treatment—especially for heavier stains—is Fels-Naptha laundry soap, a traditional wardrobe department staple. Wet the stained fabric with cold water and rub the Fels-Naptha bar directly onto the stain to create a lather. Let it sit for several minutes, then rinse or wash normally. Stubborn stains may require a second application.
When rinsing, try to run the water through the back of the fabric, pushing the blood out of the fibers rather than deeper into them. Do not place the garment in a dryer until the stain is completely gone, as heat will permanently set any remaining discoloration.
Cleaning Stage Blood from Costumes
Stage blood is usually much easier to remove than real blood because it is normally made from corn syrup, food coloring, glycerin, detergent, or other water-soluble ingredients.
Most stage blood can be removed simply by rinsing with warm water and ordinary laundry detergent. Corn-syrup based mixtures dissolve quickly once the sugar loosens in water. In many cases the costume can be restored by a normal wash cycle.
However, the dyes used in stage blood can occasionally leave a faint tint on light fabrics. If this happens, treat the area with Fels-Naptha or liquid laundry detergent, gently working the soap into the stain before washing again.
Costume shops often add a few drops of Photo-Flo or dishwashing detergent to stage blood mixtures precisely because it helps the stain release from fabric during washing.
Cleaning Blood from Other Surfaces
Blood—real or artificial—on hard surfaces such as props, floors, or set pieces can be removed with a 20% bleach solution in water. This both removes the stain and disinfects the area.
If sterilization is required for real blood contamination, items may be soaked in a 5% bleach solution for about one hour, but no longer than two hours, since even diluted bleach will corrode many metals and damage some finishes.
A Final Note on Moderation
Blood effects can be visually striking, but they should always serve the story rather than compete with it. Theatre is an art form built on suggestion. A well-acted reaction to an unseen wound can be more disturbing than any amount of artificial blood.
When the audience believes the actors, they will believe the violence as well — whether a single drop of blood appears or none at all.